Many inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) systems, inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectroscopy (ICP-AAS) systems, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) systems use a solenoid receptive of an RF electrical current for forming a plasma. However, the induced current generated by the magnetic field is skewed and non-homogeneous over the length of the interior of the solenoid due to the helical configuration of the solenoid. This non-homogeneity results in a variable temperature distribution within the plasma, which can affect sample excitation and the trajectory of ions in the plasma. In addition, the solenoid is a single element, which lacks flexibility in controlling the associated induced current formed by the magnetic field and the plasma/sample excitation.